Denim Day is a campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, what started as a local campaign to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence has grown into a movement. As the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.
Denim Day is April 28, 2021!
Young Women Support Group; new cycle beginning April 28th. for women identifying survivors between the ages of 18-24yrs You can send referrals to sseyde@pathwaysforchange.help
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💙 Set boundaries together. Talking to your partner early on about what they are and are not comfortable with is part of a healthy relationship. You both might not always be on the same page, but you'll never know unless you talk about it. For example, you may assume your partner isn’t posting about your relationship on social media because they aren’t taking it seriously, when it might be because they don’t value social media posts the way in the same way you do. If posting about a relationship on social is important to you, it’s okay to say so! It doesn’t mean your partner will agree, but at least it’s a step toward getting on the same page.
💙 When things go out of bounds, have a conversation. Using “I” statements is a great way to avoid tension and focus on feelings. For example, instead of your partner saying, “I told you that you’re texting me too often, you're so annoying.” They can say “I feel a little overwhelmed when I get a lot of texts while I’m in class.” That way you know to ease up on messaging them during the day, too many unanswered texts in a row may cause your partner anxiety, and that you can work with them on other ways to stay in touch.
💙 Fearing your partner’s response to boundaries is a red flag. If you are afraid to say “no” in a relationship because you think the other person may react poorly, that can be a sign your relationship is unhealthy. A healthy friend or partner will never make you feel bad or belittle you when you are honestly sharing your feelings. (Note: At the same time, a boundary-setting conversation should remain calm and should never include yelling or accusations, if they do, that can also be a sign of unhealthy behavior).
Common Types of Boundaries and Questions to Ask in a Relationship:
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Communication Boundaries: How often should we talk and when are the best times? Is texting or direct messaging better than Facetime or phone calls? What are we comfortable sharing about our relationship on social media?
Financial Boundaries: When or how much money should we spend on gifts for holidays and birthdays? How should we split expenses, like going out to eat together, movie tickets, etc.?
Sexual Boundaries: How comfortable are we hooking up and being physically intimate? How do we get better at talking about what we’re comfortable doing? Are we comfortable sharing explicit photos and won’t guilt each other if not?
ON CAMPUS CONTACT
Elizabeth A. Woods
Dean for Compliance and Education
508-854-2791- phone
pronouns she/her/hers
To report an ADA or Title IX Concern
